# OpenAI sponsorship controversy at Caltech > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/openai-sponsorship-controversy-at-caltech > Updated: 2026-09-15T18:00:46.000Z. Sources: 7. Developments: 2. OpenAI withdrew its $1 million sponsorship of Mathathon, a mathematics hackathon at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), following significant backlash from the academic community. An open letter signed by 771 mathematicians criticized the event and the broader trend of AI companies using large language models to tackle complex research problems. Signatories characterized this phenomenon as ‘slop mathematics,’ arguing it constitutes ‘research misconduct’ by forcing human researchers to perform the uncompensated labor of verifying, disseminating, and correcting AI-generated results. While OpenAI stated it intends to engage more deeply with the mathematical community to address these disruptive impacts, other companies like Anthropic have maintained their sponsorship. The controversy has highlighted an existential crisis among researchers, including prominent figures like Fields Medalist Terence Tao, regarding the shifting role of humans in scientific discovery as AI demonstrates an increased ability to solve long-standing problems. ## Timeline ### 2026-09-15: OpenAI withdraws from Caltech math competition amid researcher backlash OpenAI has withdrawn $1 million in sponsorship from the Caltech Mathathon following backlash from hundreds of mathematicians concerned about “slop mathematics” and the uncompensated verification of AI results. 3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/openai-withdraws-from-caltech-math-competition-amid-researcher-backlash ### 2026-09-10: OpenAI withdraws sponsorship from Caltech math hackathon OpenAI has withdrawn sponsorship for a Caltech math hackathon following criticism from mathematicians regarding ‘slop mathematics’ and the uncompensated labor required to verify AI-generated research. 4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/openai-withdraws-sponsorship-from-caltech-math-hackathon --- Cite as: OpenAI sponsorship controversy at Caltech. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/openai-sponsorship-controversy-at-caltech